S.B. wrote:“Hey Liz, hope you’re doing great. Before I got married I used to write in a journal. I’m not great at expressing myself and am often insecure about sharing my thoughts with others so I found it a helpful outlet. Since I’ve been married, 6 years (I’m 26 if that matters) I have neglected this practice. Lately I’ve been very stressed balancing my tough job and family matters and have felt the desire to revisit my journal but I feel bad about it, like, is it okay to express feelings (in writing) that I am not sharing with my wife? Aren’t I too old to be using, lets call it what it is, a diary? As much as I’d like to do it it feels silly.

Unrelatedly, have you seen the movie Her? If not I highly recommend.”

Liz says: Being married doesn’t mean you never get to be alone with your thoughts. Sometimes we don’t feel like turning to our best friends and partners when we are struggling with something, sometimes quiet introspection is what we need. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as it doesn’t become the only coping skill you use. Never turning to friends or your spouse can isolate you, making you feel all alone and can lead to depression. Keeping a journal or diary can be hugely beneficial, though, and has been shown to improve emotional health.

2 thoughts on “Should A Married Man Keep A Diary?”

As always thank you for your thoughtful response, i appreciate it. Its actually a fun journal that i got from urban outfitters. Each page has a quote by a a celebrity figure relating to mental health, usually something comedic, and i had a habnit of starting by commenting on the quote.

How flattering! I really hope you do i think you will really like it, it may be the most thought provoking movie i’ve ever seen but also humurous and “feel good” if you will.